Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



C. F. STODDARD.

PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1908.

Q 1,031,742. Patented July 9, 1912.

3'SHEETSSHEET 1.

0.1:". STODDARD.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1908.

Patented July 9,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o. F. STODDARD; PNEUMATIC DBSPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

1 O31',742-.' APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1908. 9,

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IIIIII-IIIIIII UMTED BTATEB PATENT QBI IQE,

CHARLES E. STQDDARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMSON CONSOLI DATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A. COEPOBJATICN OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH'TUBE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed July 25, 1908. SerialNo. 445,291.

T 0 all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES F. S'roo- DARD, of Dorchester, Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and especially to those of small bore such as are used in stores for carrying cash, etc.

The object of this invention is to produce a system simple in construction and economical in operation. The system here described and shown is operated by exhaustion, but the invention would apply equally well to a system operated by pressure.-

In the economical operation of a pneumatic tube system, it is advantageous to shut off the flow of air through the tubes when they are not conveying carriers, be

It is a well-known fact that the longer the 7 tube the more power is required to drive the air at a given speed, and conversely, the shorter the tube, the less power is required. If the air-propelling mechanism operates at the same speed all the time, neglecting leakage, the amountof power required to drive same will increase as the pressure increases and decrease as the pressure decreases.

In the system herein shown and described, the air-propelling mechanism is driven at practically a uniform speed and the controlling mechanism and arrangement of tube lines embodied in my invention throws into circuit only that portion of the tube system which is despatching carriers, thereby saving the power which would be required to drive the air through the whole system all the time.

This system is composed of three lines radiating from a central station, but I do not limit myself to any particular number of lines. I

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 represents a complete system of three branches covering everything except the air-propelling mechanism and in a position when. no carriers are being despatched. Fig.2 is'a similar view but showing the position of the various parts while a carrier is being despatched in one of the branches. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the electric controlling mechanism. Fig. 4 is a lateral section of same.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The tube A leads to the air-propelling blower P which as before explained is run at a practically uniform speed, thereby giving to the air practically a uniform speed regardless of the degree of exhaustion. The

'branch lines B, B, B are connected in series at the central station by the tubes A, A Each of these branch lines B, B, B is provided with a by-pass tube C, C, C respectively, and in-each'by-pass tube is located a shut off valve D, D, 1) respectively, controlled by the solenoids D", D, D. The branch lines B, B, B are made up of out-going tubes B B", B respectively and return tubes B, B, B respectively. The despatching end of the outgoing tube B is an open end E, while the despatching ends of the outgoing tubes B B are provided with .fiap valves E', E

and the despatching ends of the return tubes B, B, B are provided with flap valves E E E The receiving ends of both the outgoing tubes B B, B and the return tubes B, B", B are provided with flap valves E E E E". E, E and goosemeck receivingscoops F, F, F F F F 5 respectively. At the outside terminus of the branch lines B, B, B are cross over tubes C C C and just inside the despatching ends of the outgoing tubes B B, B and the returning tubes B, B, B are fingers G, G, G G G, G pivoted at the points H, H, H H H, H and provided at their oppo-siteends with the switch arms J, J, J J J J which make contact with the switch plates J, J J J, J, J when carriers are despatched in the respective tubes.

K is an electric battery for operating the controlling mechanism of the entire system. The electric conductors are represented by numerals.

X is a carrier.

In Figs. 3 and 4 which show the details of one of the controlling mechanisms, D is the valve, D the solenoid, L

. armature with the valve D, and L is the piston rod which connects the piston L with the lower endof the valve D. The

piston L is provided with ports L which are closed by the clapper if when the piston L? is descending in the cylinder L and when the piston is rising the clapper L drops down against the shoulder L thereby opening the ports L and ermitting the piston L to move freely in t e cylinder L .The upper portion of the cylinder wall is smooth, but the lower end is provided with longitudinal channels L so that there will be no cushioning effect during the latter part of the downward travel of the piston L A by-pass duct M connects the upper end with the lower end of the cylinder L" and this by-pass duct M is provided with a needle valve h which is for the purpose of regulating the amount of stricture in the by pass duct M thereby predetermining the speed with which the piston L shall descend through the smooth bore portion of the cylinder-' L;

The operation is as follows: when no carriers are being despatched, the air in the outgoing and return tubes is still and the current ofair entering the open end E of the outgoing tube B passes through the bypass tube C to the tube A, thence through the tubes 0, A C and A respectively. and to the air-propelling blower P. As the length of tube through which the air passes when no carriers are being des atched is very short, there is very little fraction and therefore very little power required to drive same. When a carrier is inserted in any of the tubes at the des atching end such as the despatching end 0 the returntube B", as shown in Fig. 2, it presses the finger G into the position shown in Fig, 2'thcreby making. an electrical connection between the switch arm J and the. switchplate 3 and completing the electrical circuit from the battery K throughtheconductors 1, 2, 3, the solenoid D and the conductors 4, 5 and 6, and the current passing through the solenoid D excites it and thereby causes it.

to draw the armature L(Fig. 5) up into it which brings the valve D into its upper most position and this closes the passage in the bypass pipe C so that the current of air is caused to travel through the outgoing'tube B, the cross-over tube C and the return tube B. This current of air propels the carrier through the return tube B to the receiving end where itstrikes the flap valve E opening same by its impact and discharging into the goose-neck scoop As soon as the carrier X passes the finger G said finger is returned by suitable means, such as a spring or weight, to the position shown in Fig. Land the electric circuit is thus broken and the solenoid D ceases to exert an upward influence on the armature L. The valve D and the armature'L with the other parts attached to same are of such weight that immediately the efi'ect of the electrically excited solenoid is removed, they begin to descend. of their own weight but are prevented from dropping quickly by the cushioning effect of the piston L on the air or any other fluid with which the cylindcr "L' may be filled. Thepiston L descends" only as fast as it .can force the fluid in the portion of the cylinder under it into the portion of the cylinder above it'through the needle valve M which is adjusted to govern the time of descent so that the valve D is kept closed long enough to give the carrier X time to be'propelled from one end of the branch line ,B tothe opposite end of same. It will be noticed that the .valve D is oval in shape. This is so it will keep the by-pass tube C closed during its descent until the piston L reaches the point in the cylinder L where the chan: nels L begin and from this point to the lower end of its travel, there is no cushion and at the moment the last carrier is despatched, which gives the last carrier time to get out of the tubebefore the valve D opens the by-pass C thereby shutting oil the branch B.

It will be understood that/the times of descent of the various pistons is predetermined by the adjustment of the needle valves-so that a longer line will be given a proportionately longer time, etc.

Having thus vdescribed the nature of my invention and set forth a construction em- =bodying .the same, what-I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: e

- 1. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a plurality of transmission tubes systems with each system. comprising sending and return tubes communicating at their outer ends, a blower, an air-conduit leading to said blower common to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication with the inner ends-of the sending and return tubes of each system, and means for switching the flow of air from the common conduit throu the sendin and return tubes of any one of the transmission tube systems.

2. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a plurality of transmission tube systems with each system comprising sending and return tubes communicating at their outer A ends, a blower, an air-conduit leading to said blower ,common to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication with the inner ends of the sending and return tubes of each system, means for switching the flow of air from the common conduit through the sending and return tubes of any one of the transmission tube systems,

. 3. In pneumaticdespatch a plurality of transmission tube systems and means for timing'and limiting the flow of air through any one of the transmission tube systems to the interval necessary for the transmission of a carrier through the system in operation. 1

tube apparatus,

wit-h each system comprising sending and return tubes communicatin at theirouter ends, -a blower, anair-con uit leading to said blower common to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication with the inner ends of the sending and return tubes of each system, and electro-magnetic means operating to switch the flow of air from the common conduit through any w for timing the operationof the elect-ro-mag-' one of the transmission tube systems.

41. In neumatic despatch tube apparatus, a plura ity of transmission tube systems with each system comprising sending and return tubes communicating at their outer ends, a blower, an air-conduit leading to.

said blower common to.all the transmissiontube'systems and in series communication with theinner ends of'the sending and re-' turn tubes of each system, electro-magnetic means operating to switch the fiow of air from the common conduit through any one of thetransmission tube systems, and means netic means so as to limit such operation to the interval necessary for the transmission of a carrier through the system in operation.

5. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus a plurality of transmission tube systems with each system comprising sending and return tubes communicating at'their outer ends, a blower, an air-conduit leading to.

said blower comnion to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication with the inner ends of thesendlng and return tubes of each system, 'and means actuated by the insertionof a' carr er in a tube.

of any of the transmissiontubesystems for switching the flow of air from the common conduit through the system in the tube of which the carrier has been placed..-

6. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a plurality of transmission tube systems with each system comprising sending and return tubes communicating'at their outer ends, a blower, an j air-conduit leading to said blower common to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication 1 with the inner ends of the sending and return tubes of each system, means actuated by the insertion of a carrier in a tube of any .of the transmission-tube systems for switching' the flowof air from the common conduit .th'rough the system in the tube of which the carrier has been placed, and means for timing and limiting the flow of air through the or the transmission of the carwith the inner ends of the sending and return tubes of each system, and electro-magnetic' means energized by the insertion of a carrier in the tube of any of the transmission tube systemsto switch the flow 'of air from the common conduit'through the system in which the carrier has been placed to propel the carrier through such system.

8. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus,

a plurality of transmission tube systems with each system comprising sending and return tubes communicating at their outer ends, a blower, an air-conduit leading to said blower common to all the transmission tube systems and in series communication with the inner ends of the sending and return tubes of each system, electro-magnetic means energized by the insertion of'a carrier in the tube of any of the transmission tube systems to switch the How of airfrom the the carrierhas been placed to" propel the carrier through the same, and means for timing the operation or" the electro-magnetic means to limit the flow of air through the system in which the carrier has been placed to the interval necessary to propel the carrier through such system. i

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this seventeenth day ofJuly A. D. 1908.

CHARLES F. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

A. PAR n'rrLLoYn. C. R. Eamon.-

'common conduit through the system in which 

